Archives for August 2012

Phoenix, AZ—Every Arizona household’s debt is getting bigger—but most people don’t even know they owe. In Arizona, every man, woman and child owes state and local governments more than $7,500 for bills ranging from sports stadiums to parking garages.

State and local per-person long-term debt grew from $4,568 per Arizonan in 2000 to $7,587 in 2009, an increase of 66 percent in less than a decade. Arizona’s per-person debt load is almost $1,000 more than the national median of around $6,800 in per-person debt.

The $7,587 owed by every Arizonan to pay off state and local debts is in addition to the $51,000 per-American share of the mounting federal debt.

“In economic times like these, most people have their hands full trying to balance their own checkbooks,” said Slivinski. “Yet our policymakers can’t restrain themselves from committing to more and more new debt that Arizona families ultimately will have to pay off.”

Although Arizona’s framers established a constitutional debt limit to cap state debt to $350,000—roughly $8 million in today’s dollars—the limit is not effective at actually limiting debt. This is because the courts have interpreted the debt limit to apply only to a specific type of debt: the “full, faith, and credit,” or general obligation debt. Politicians are able to commit current and future taxpayers to paying off a variety of debt instruments—usually called “non-guaranteed debt”—that are not subject to the constitutional limit and often do not require voter approval.

Debt-service payments were the fastest growing category in Arizona’s noncapital budget for state general expenditures in the last decade, growing 170 percent from 2002 and 2009. Almost one quarter of all state and local debts in Arizona are for projects primarily benefitting private interests, such as shopping centers or sports arenas.

For many local governments, debt payments have caused cities to cut essential services.

For example, Glendale, Arizona recently fired 49 employees, including a handful of policemen, to help cover its $35 million spending gap. The city has paid the National Hockey League $50 million over the past two years to keep the Coyotes hockey team in the city’s taxpayer-financed Jobing.com Arena, fearing that if the Coyotes move, the city will be unable to pay off the debts it owes from constructing the arena in 2002. Meanwhile, the city has had to table plans to complete the remodel of the city’s courthouse and to build a new library.

“When our elected officials commit funds to private-interest projects like sports stadiums, it doesn’t just drive up our families’ tax bills—it often means cutting the services we rely on, like law enforcement in our neighborhoods and libraries for our children,” said Slivinski.

In his paper, Slivinski recommends seven reforms to rein in Arizona’s debt, including a strict cap on debt for state and local governments, voter approval of all debt at the local level, and transparency requirements for all state and local debt.

For a bio and high definition photo of Goldwater Institute Senior Economist Stephen Slivinski, click here.

The Goldwater Institute protects America’s greatest inheritance – the liberty and economic freedom of the individual – by holding government accountable and standing up for regular taxpayers just like you.

Sonoran Alliance received the following letter from an Arizona Ron Paul delegate in anticipation of a planned protest this evening at the Republican National Convention:

Open Letter to My Fellow RP Delegates,

My name is Edward Vallejo, and I am currently the Organizer of the Phoenix Ron Paul for President MeetUp Group – the first of it’s kind. It was created in February of 2007, a full month before the good Congressman even declared, by a man named Philly Dave Gallagher, Activist in the Phoenix Area. He created it because those engaged in the Cause of Liberty in Arizona saw what was coming, and knew that the people would need a place to gather and coordinate, for which the Internet and MeetUp were the perfect medium of communication without external control. I began organizing the Group a couple of months later when I arrived because of my skills with coordinating efforts.

I am a United States Army veteran – and Signal Corps Honor Graduate, and my Permanent duty was with the 36th Medical Detachment (HA) out of Ft. Polk, La. as a radio-telephone operator, tasked with the overall coordination of missions, crews, and equipment for which lives depended – thus making me a natural for the position I now hold.

Being a past National Delegate for the Libertarian Party in 2008 and 2010, I am familiar with the process in which I am currently engaged here at the 2012 Republican National Convention – in this beautiful city of Tampa.

I understand there are grievances by many of my fellow Delegates that staunchly support Congressman Paul. I understand your feelings probably more acutely than anyone present. I ask you to hear me out.

Dr. Paul told us that the greatest good can only be done from within – that’s why he had us join the Republican Party – to spread the message of Liberty, and to not just build the Party – but become the Party. Populate it with law-abiding, liberty-loving individuals. Run for office. Do as much good as you can there. Make your Country better.

Keep it non-violent.

And that’s what you did. You worked and fought and worked some more and fundraised, and now you are a good portion of the Republican Party – and you are everywhere. Many of you have gone to great pains to work out relationships with many good people in the GOP. Will you throw out all their hard efforts by airing your grievances at this time? Will it gain you anything positive?

What would Ron Do? Would he be out here amongst you if he were in this situation? I think not.

I bet if I sat down and asked him, he would probably admit that Mr. Romney was nowhere near as dangerous to America as Mr. Obama sitting in the White House for another four years – especially since the ‘official nomination’.

I was the Arizona Voting Delegate at the Continental Congress 2009 in St. Charles, Illinois. For eleven days, duly elected Delegates from 48 of the 50 states deliberated violations of the Constitution, including an Article that dealt with the Current sitting President’s failure to enforce the law regarding immigration. I sat on that Committee and personally helped write that Article.

Being a Concerned Arizonan, I have watched closely my County Sheriff, Joe Arpaio, as he has been investigating our sitting President. He has reported back to us that his publicly released documentation of birth AND his Service Registration card are forgeries.

I could go on, but we all see it.

I am greatly distressed at the direction my Beloved Republic has been taken by this man in the Oval Office, and fear greatly for the safety of myself, my family, and my Country. I fear the resort to the Use of Arms by American Citizens, and untold misery, heartache, and unnecessary bloodshed on American soil.

It is for these reasons that I implore my Fellow Patriots to not air your grievances at this time, publicly. Please, go back inside the Convention hall, as one, and show some maturity and solidarity, and continue this road we have come so far on. Let us have our grievances arbitrated either within the Party, or failing to resolute – take it to the courts.

PHOENIX – After securing the Democrat nomination for U.S. Senate – thanks to the fact that he was personally recruited by President Obama – Arizonans are realizing that Richard Carmona was a fierce support of ObamaCare.

President Obama and Richard Carmona’s healthcare law cut $700 billion from Medicare, raised taxes on families and small business owners by over $500 billion and forced every Arizonan to purchase health insurance.

“As Arizonans get to know Democrat Richard Carmona, they’ll quickly realize that he supported President Obama’s healthcare law that cut Medicare and raised taxes on Arizonans,” said Arizona Republican Party spokesman Tim Sifert. “With nearly 250,000 unemployed Arizonans we need a Senator, like Jeff Flake, who is focused on creating jobs, instead of one like Carmona whose first priority is to defend ObamaCare.”

BACKGROUND….

Democrat Richard Carmona Supports ObamaCare

“Carmona served as the 17th surgeon general of the United States under President George W. Bush. Last year, he participated in series of health care town halls that the congresswoman held in Tucson, Sierra Vista and Green Valley. ‘The issue facing our country is how do we get the best care for the most people at the least cost,’ Carmona said. ‘We spend more for health care than any other nation on Earth, but the metrics of our results don’t reflect that. We need to move toward a health care system, not the sick care system that we have today. This legislation moves us closer to that. This bill is not perfect. But these are complex issues and we must move forward. And then I hope we can sit down with level heads and make it even better for the benefit of the American people.’” (“U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords Announces Support For Historic Health Insurance Reform Legislation,” Congresswoman Giffords Press Release, 3/20/10)

Which Cuts Medicare, Raises Taxes & Kill Jobs

A Top Obama Campaign Adviser Lauded “The $700 Billion Cuts In Medicare That The President Achieved” Through Obamacare. CUTTER: “You know I heard Mitt Romney deride the $700 billion cuts in Medicare that the president achieved through health care reform.” (CBS’s Face The Nation, 8/12/12)

In All, Obama Pays For His Government Takeover Of Health Care With $810.8 Billion In Job-Killing Taxes On Small Businesses, Investments And Innovation.(“Updated Estimates For The Insurance Coverage Provisions Of The Affordable Care Act,” Congressional Budget Office, 3/12; “Estimated Revenue Effects Of A Proposal To Repeal Certain Tax Provisions Contained In The ‘Affordable Care Act,'” Joint Committee On Taxation, 6/15/12)

Sarah Palin has endorsed RINO after RINO and Arizona conservatives are tired of her meddling in our state

District 5 voters want a miniskirt and high heels

We received this email from two of the top Tea Party leaders in Arizona, both located in Arizona’s East Valley District 5, and thought it was worth sharing with our readers. We used to like Sarah Palin, but her continuing endorsements of liberal Republicans has caused us to believe she has sold out and no longer supports true conservative and Tea Party candidates. Matt Salmon is the true conservative in this Congressional race.

Sarah Palin has lost my trust in 2010 by supporting RINO, John McCain. Now word comes that she is again taking orders from her political boss and endorsing other moderate candidates she has probably never met, Jeff Flake and Kirk Adams. It is very unfortunate that we live in a political system that values endorsements from popular people more than the actual records of those running for office. We must be on the look out for these highly paid drive by endorsements by people like Sarah Palin who disappointed the Tea Party many times over since she fully endorsed the candidacy of John McCain, the biggest RINO of them all. Many people gave her a pass for that two years ago when she campaigned for John McCain because he had put her on the National map and helped her to make millions in speaking fees.

She has become a multi-millionaire by traveling the country charging up to $200,000 an appearance to tell us NOT TO VOTE FOR RINOS AND NOT TO SUPPORT THE ESTABLISHMENT. These words don’t match her actions and it is high time that true conservatives call her on it. She has repeatedly supported and endorsed many very liberal republicans such as 36 year career politician, Orrin Hatch in Utah. She helped to get him re-elected and this is just one of many other RINOS she is helping. Anytime John McCain calls, she jumps. We all know that John McCain is the biggest RINO of them all.

Her actions of preaching one thing and then doing another is hypocritical at best. Has “Going Rogue” become “Going Political?” It is my believe that Sarah Palin wants to become a Senator so bad that she will do just about anything McCain wants so she can take his seat in 4 years.

Endorsements are highly overrated. A few close endorsements from friends are okay but some of these campaigns seem to be in competition for the most endorsements and not for the most votes. I much prefer to get to know candidates personally by talking to them in person. I don’t believe in casting a vote that relies on sham endorsements. Americans should be willing to do the work needed to look up a politician’s record and by attending meetings where the candidate is speaking and answering questions.

I know Matt Salmon and I know Kirk Adams and I know their political records. My vote is not personal, but I am voting for Matt Salmon because he is in my opinion, more conservative and will try harder to be guided by the constitution. The same is true about Wil Cardon vs. Jeff Flake. I know both of them well and I believe that Wil Cardon is more conservative. It is that simple.

It is time for Sarah Palin to cut those Apron Strings with John McCain and bring her actions more in line with her words and it is time for the voters to do the work necessary to get to know each candidate without relying on a third party endorsement.

Contrary to Sarah Palin, the Tea Parties in the East Valley are not supporting Kirk Adams.
We had an unannounced straw poll, I did not want any candidate to influence the results, last week and it was 94% for Matt Salmon with only 6% for Kirk Adams. I know the other two Tea Parties are supporting Matt also. If you want to vote with the Tea Party vote Matt Salmon.www.eastvalleyteaparty.com

Now caught on video soliciting petition signatures at one of his official “Breakfast with the Judge” events

This may be the end of the road for Clancy Jayne’s career as a Justice of the Peace. He has been reprimanded four times in his brief career as Justice of the Peace for the Desert Ridge precinct. The fourth reprimand was for not correcting prior misbehavior that he had already been reprimanded for. He has been disciplined for things like talking to litigants without the other party being present and advertising his wedding services on his official website.Now, we have come across a video of one of his official “Breakfast with the Judge” events where he solicits signatures for his reelection campaign. This appears to be a clear violation of election laws and judicial ethics. Voters beware when you choose who to vote for in this election.

Do you want someone who has four judicial reprimands, with possibly another one on the way, or the true conservative alternative, Bill Ponath? Check out Bill’s website at ponath4jp.com.

The solicitations from Jayne are at the very beginning and the very end of the video. Jayne thanks his wife for collecting signatures for him at the beginning. He lost reelection to the legislature a few years ago because the signatures she collected were invalid, because she was a convicted felon. We have heard that she has since had her rights restored.

Clancy Jayne soliciting election petition signatures at his Breakfast with the Judge event

Connects directly with voters of Arizona’s First Congressional District

Jonathan Paton held a Telephone Town Hall with hundreds of voters in Arizona’s First Congressional District Thursday night to discuss his pledge to protect and preserve Medicare.

In the hour-long town hall, Paton took questions directly from voters. In addition to discussing his plans to protect Medicare by repealing ObamaCare, Paton also talked about his military service in Iraq, his plans to secure the border and how best to curtail out-of-control spending in Washington, D.C.

“Washington politicians haven’t been telling us the truth,” Paton said. “They stole more than $700 billion from Medicare to pay for ObamaCare, and spending is at record levels. I will continue to travel Arizona and talk to seniors and families about getting our country back on track.”

Background:

Ann Kirkpatrick voted to cut more than $700 billion from Medicare to pay for ObamaCare. (link)

Carmona Wants to End Debate, Ignore Cost to Taxpayers, and Just Do it Obama’s Way

PHOENIX – Richard Carmona, a Tucson Democrat recruited last year to run for the U.S. Senate by President Barack Obama, yesterday reiterated his strong support for ObamaCare and said he was “disgusted” by those still debating the fairness of this new program and the harm it would cause to seniors. ObamaCare, also called the Affordable Care Act, is expected to drain more than $700 billion from Medicare to pay for much of Obama’s program. Republicans in the U.S. House have repeatedly voted to repeal ObamaCare, but the Democrats who narrowly control the Senate will not allow a vote to take place.

“President Obama recruited Richard Carmona to run for the Senate because ObamaCare is just one of the items on their liberal agenda they need to keep Republicans from having input on,” said Arizona Republican Party spokesman Tim Sifert. “Obama doesn’t want his Democrats to lose control of the Senate, so he’s stepped heavily into Arizona politics trying to shore up liberal candidates like Richard Carmona who are pledged to support him.”

BACKGROUND …

Carmona “disgusted” by Debate

“…said the public should be as “disgusted” as he is at how politicized the debate has become.” (Bruce Christian, “Senate Candidate” Echo Magazine, August 2012)

But Without Debate and Action Medicare is Going Bankrupt

Changes Made To Medicare Under ObamaCare Are “Not Viable In The Long Range”

The Annual Report From The Medicare Trustees Reports That The Medicare Trust Fund Will Go Bankrupt Five Years Earlier Than Previously Predicted: “However, the HI trust fund is now estimated to be exhausted in 2024, 5 years earlier than was shown in last year’s report, and the fund is not adequately financed over the next 10 years. HI taxable earnings in 2010 were lower than previously estimated, and the rate of growth in these earnings is projected to accelerate and to exceed last year’s growth assumptions in 2011-2019. HI expenditures in 2010 were close to the previous estimate, but the projected level grows more rapidly than shown in last year’s report because of the projected faster growth in earnings. HI expenditures have exceeded income annually since 2008 and are projected to continue doing so through the short-range period until the fund becomes exhausted in 2024. In 2010, $32.3 billion in trust fund assets were redeemed to cover the shortfall of income relative to expenditures.” (2011 Annual Report Of The Boards Of Trustees Of The Federal Hospital Insurance And Federal Supplementary Medical Insurance Trust Funds)

Carmona Wants His Way Regardless of Cost

“I don’t care what we call it or how we get there, as long as we can come up with a something that ensures that everyone has access to healthcare; that’s the humane thing to do.” (Bruce Christian, “Senate Candidate” Echo Magazine, August 2012)

Jayne is facing off against conservative challenger Bill Ponath in JP election

Jayne lacks sensitivity for the Code of Judicial Conduct’s direction on permissible activities, appearance of impropriety and use of the Internet

PHOENIX – Judge Clancy Jayne, running for reelection to the Desert Ridge Justice Court, has managed to rack up yet another informal sanction by the Commission on Judicial Conduct for violating the Code of Judicial Conduct.

The Commission was alerted that Jayne’s personal website continued to improperly advertise wedding services, despite his previous discipline for that conduct.

The complainant also alleged that Jayne’s website improperly listed corporate sponsors, including companies that provide services to the court, and invited improper ex parte communications.

The order, written on behalf of the Commission by Chair Louis Frank Dominguez, not only determined Jayne’s conduct warranted an informal sanction, it stated, “Specifically, despite a prior informal sanction for violating Rule 2.16(C) of the Code by advertising wedding services and clear direction that continued reference to an ongoing personal business could violate Rule 1.3, Judge Jayne failed to ensure that these issues on his website were resolved.”

Additionally, the Commission ordered Jayne to obtain a mentor to specifically address concerns related to his personal website.

Dominguez wrote, “This requirement reflects the Commission’s concern that the judge lacks sufficient sensitivity for the Code of Judicial Conduct’s direction on permissible activities, the appearance of impropriety, and his use of the Internet.”

The Commission dismissed the remaining allegations against Jayne with a private warning letter.

In his response to the Commission, Jayne claimed the wedding advertisement violation was due to changing webmasters from Aimee Ludt to AXXESS Unlimited and stated, “It appears that during the changeover AXXESS Unlimited came across the wedding service drop-down and they were not aware that I had requested it be removed so they included it. I had no idea this had occurred and on accessing the website I didn’t see anything on the Home page regarding weddings so assumed it wasn’t there.”

Jayne goes on to say, “Unfortunately my own ineptness in navigating my website caused me not to realize it had been added back on. I apologize for this oversight on my part. When I asked my wife to help me prepare this response she went on the website and immediately found ‘Wedding Services’ contained in a drop-down box and she informed me that the information was still there.”

Regarding the sponsors section, Jayne stated American Traffic Academy and CHC were no longer sponsors for the Breakfast with the Judge events and had been removed from the website.

Jayne stated, “It was my understanding that the ‘Hold Harmless’ section at the bottom of our Breakfast with the Judge flyers stating, ‘This breakfast event is an independent, informational forum. It is not affiliated with any fundraising, partisan or election committee, and does not endorse any venue, sponsor or speaker,’ relieved me of any conflict of interest regarding their sponsorship. Please advise as soon as possible if this is not correct.”

According to Jayne, the companies sponsored the breakfast only, they do not pay him personally, nor do they contribute to a designated campaign fund.

Jayne also noted in the packet of enclosures with the Commission’s letter was the flyer from his April 18, 2012 fundraiser.

He wrote, “Although nothing was mentioned I’d like to clarify that this event had no sponsors and because of time constraint in getting the flyers printed a mistake was made in not removing sponsor names off the fundraiser flyer as this is the same format they use when doing the breakfast flyers. It was a complete oversight and again I apologize for this error.”

Jayne clarified that American Traffic Academy was not a defensive driving school and said “litigants were never sent to or told to contact them. When they were a sponsor, they gave out flyers and had a short video presentation that ran at the beginning of the breakfast.”

He wrote, “Lastly on the page Contact the Judge! There is a Sun City P.O. Box listed. This used to be an old mailing address. I do not have it anymore,” stating he included the copy of his email requesting the address be deleted from his website.

In closing, Jayne stated, “I appreciate the opportunity to respond to this complaint and clarify the issues in question. There has never been a time since I was sworn in as Desert Ridge Justice of the Peace that I have knowingly acted in any manner that would bring into question my ethics or reflect negatively on the bench or the Desert Ridge Justice Court.”

Politico Reporter Jake Sherman confirms that rumors coming from Quayle campaign blaming David Schweikert for leaking story are false

We are now hearing complaints leaked from the Ben Quayle campaign that David Schweikert provided the story about Quayle’s dip in the Sea of Galilee to Politico. It is unfortunate the Quayle campaign is resorting to such desperate last minute tactics. Politico reporter Jake Sherman confirms in the video below at the 13:40 mark that the story did not come from the Schweikert campaign. Perhaps Ben Quayle owes Schweikert an apology for falsely accusing him? Thanks to Tim Vetscher from Phoenix’s ABC-15 for spotting this.

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